A school official says Iowa will put in safeguards to protect students after 12 football players were hospitalized following offseason workouts.

Associate athletics director Fred Mims says the case is a "good lesson" for why university officials should ask players about how they are feeling after strenuous workouts. He said Wednesday that the school will also try to avoid problems after players return from breaks and might not have kept up with fitness routines by making sure expectations are clear.

Twelve Iowa football players are recovering after being hospitalized Monday evening, reportedly for a kidney ailment caused by extremely strenuous offseason workouts.

A university spokesman said Tuesday that the 12 “were all participating in NCAA allowable winter workouts. The symptoms, for which the student-athletes are being treated, are likely related to those workouts.”

The players were taken to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, The Gazette of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, reported. “All of the individuals are responding well to treatment as of Tuesday morning. All are in safe and stable condition, " a hospital physician said in a statement. "At this time we are not sure when any of the individuals will be discharged. Hospital discharge will be on a case by case basis.”

CBSSports.com and The Gazette both reported the players suffered a kidney condition. The Gazette said the condition is Rhabdomyolysis, which results from extreme exercise exertion.

The players’ names and conditions were not released by the school due to medical privacy rules, but the Des Moines Register on Tuesday identified one player as freshman linebacker Shane DiBona. The Iowa City Press-Citizen identified another as defensive back Jordan Bernstine.

DiBona's father, Adam, told the Register his son had been admitted but was "doing great" now. Bernstine confirmed to the Press-Citizen directly that he was one of the 12 and that he was OK.

According to the Register, Shane DiBona posted on his Facebook page Jan. 20 that he "had to squat 240 pounds 100 times and it was timed. I can’t walk and I fell down the stairs"

Bernstine wrote on his Facebook page, also on Jan. 20, that had undergone “Hands Down the hardest workout I’ve ever had in my life! I can’t move!”

While Rhabdomyolysis may feel like muscle soreness, the condition is far worse as it is a breakdown of muscle fibers resulting in the release of muscle fiber contents into the bloodstream. Victims will often have brown urine, as one Iowa player, freshman linebacker Jim Poggi, said on his Facebook page that he experienced, according to CBSSports.com. A second Iowa player, freshman tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz, told the Register he understood players dealt with that condition.

In serious cases, the kidney fails to clear toxins from the bloodstream and can result in permanent kidney failure.

"They are nothing if not concerned for the health of the players," Vandervelde told The Associated Press. "That's always the first priority, health and development. I mean workouts are never used to punish. It's always about improvement, and workouts are always well within the capabilities of the athletes asked to perform them."

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz is on the road recruiting, but has been kept up to date on the players’ health. Athletic director Gary Barta said, “Our No. 1 concern is the safety of our student-athletes, so we are pleased with the positive feedback. Our next step is to find out what happened so we can avoid this happening in the future.”